Doubling Down On Success

Being twins, Justin and Joel Rittenhouse learned to share growing up: toys, birthdays, even, in one sense, each other’s face.

Now, the 21-year-olds share another distinction — Eastern Mennonite University graduate. The brothers were among the more than 400 Royals who received diplomas on Sunday during commencement exercises at the liberal arts school.

“This is your day,” Swartzendruber told the graduates, before telling their families, “our students know full well your support has been an integral part of their success.”

Family Tradition

For the Rittenhouses, of Green Lane, Pa., attending EMU runs in the family. Their parents and a brother also graduated from the university, which factored into their decision to choose the institution.

The brothers have much in common and often were mistaken for one another when they first arrived on campus.

“People realized we have our own little quirks,” Justin said.

But they do have their differences.

Joel described himself as the dominant one of the two, to which Justin agreed. Naturally.